Vince Staples Performs at NPR’s Tiny Desk, Centering Black Panther Legacy

Vince Staples brought a five-piece band to NPR Music headquarters for a Tiny Desk concert on July 21, featuring material from his 2025 album Cry Baby and a selection from 2024's Dark Times.

The performance carried political weight. Following the second song, Staples posed a question to the audience: "If you know who George Jackson is, in the crowd, raise your hand." When few responded, he continued naming slain members of the Black Panther Party, including Bobby Hutton and Larry Kimmons, who was shot and killed by a Pepperdine University security guard in 1969.

The song "Go! Go! Gorilla," which details the Black community's relationship with law enforcement, underscored the concert's thematic focus. According to NPR, the tension from this moment persisted throughout the set.

Staples' recent output reflects a marked artistic shift. His 2024 Netflix series The Vince Staples Show established him as a television personality, while his albums have broadened in scope—moving beyond the wit that defined his earlier interviews toward direct examination of systemic issues affecting his community and Long Beach specifically.

The Tiny Desk band included guitarist Jennifer Haack and Mikaiah Lei, bassist Chloe Haack, and drummer Myles Martin, each providing background vocals. The setlist comprised "Blackberry Marmalade," "Go! Go! Gorilla," "White Flag," "Shame on the Devil," and "Only in America."